June 2025

[Sílvia]

I read Three Mothers by Hannah Beckerman. It's supposed to be a thriller, but it read more like a drama to me. The mystery was pretty obvious early on. I really enjoyed it, but I can see how people expecting a thriller would rate it low. Why do publishers do that? is it because thrillers sell more? But then it backfires!

Then I read The Drift by C.J. Tudor, a post-apocalyptic popcorn thriller. It started out so well, but it went downhill somewhere around the halfway point. Too many characters with no development, too much violence, not enough explanations. It might have worked as a movie or TV show, but in book form, it was a fail.

Now I sort of started All the Colors of the Dark, which has been on my list for a while and has good ratings, but also lots of people saying it's slow, and it's a 700-page mystery. It might turn out to be great, but I don't know if I'm in the mood for something that long. It's easy to read a 1000-page Ken Follett that moves fast and feels like 500 pages, but this seems way more dense. We'll see. There's so much I wanna read right now: the new Taylor Jenkins Reid, the new Julie Clark, the new Isabel Allende, The Great Believers (how's that going, Blush)?

[Rowan]

I can vouch for the new Julie Clark. It was good - not my fave of hers but definitely good.

I'm dying to read the new TJR but I hesitate to buy it because I think I'm fairly early on the library hold list. I may break down and buy it because I have 2 friends that want to read it together.

I think I'll start Deep End by Ali Hazelwood today. I need something a little lighter than all the drama books I've been reading.

[Rowan]

Blush -- you'll have to tell me how you like Migrations. I loved Wild Dark Shore so much I've been wanting to check out the author's backlist.

I'm reading a bit of smut -- Deep End by Ali Hazelwood. I just wanted something a bit light as I've read some really great heavy books lately. I have Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid up next. I caved and bought it.

[Sílvia]

I loved Migrations, but it *is* bleak. I suppose all cli-fi is.

I gave up on All the Colors of the Dark at 46%. It had its moments, but it was mostly boring me. I found it slow and kind of pretentious.

Not sure what's next. I read a couple of pages of Atmosphere last night. I mostly wanna read that for FOMO, and I know that's not a good enough reason. But I know that the hype in the next weeks and months will be insane, and I'll be curious.
I know it'll be insane because it was released here (in Portuguese) on the same day as in the US. That is extremely rare. I think *maybe* Stephen King gets the same treatment? Not sure.

[Rowan]

I'll have to check out Migrations as i really loved Wild Dark Shore by her.

I finished The Shining for my Stephen King Summer book club tomorrow.

I started The Eights about the first enrolled women at Cambridge in the 1920s. It was a little slow to get into but now it's really good!

I have the newest Hunger Games waiting for me at the library -- Sunrise on the Reaping

[Spudd]

I finished The Morning and the Evening the other day but forgot to report it here. It was a nice summer read.

Now I'm reading "Himself" by Jess Kidd which is set in Ireland and the Irish slang is a tough slog so far. Hopefully it will get better.